Frequency of Cytomegalovirus Viral Load in Iranian Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-Infected Patients with CD4+ Counts <100 Cells/mm3

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORS AFFECTING CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS WITH OR WITHOUT HIV INFECTION

PURPOSE

To explore the clinical features and outcomes of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) in patients with HIV and non-HIV.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included all patients with CMVR in National Taiwan University Hospital from 2013 to 2018. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, CMVR recurrence, and overall survival were compared between the HIV and non-HIV groups. Generalized estimating equation models were implemented to analyze the risk factors of poor visual prognosis. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to investigate recurrence and survival.

RESULTS

A total of 66 patients (95 eyes) with CMVR were enrolled, with no significant differences between the HIV (41 patients; 61 eyes) and non-HIV (25 patients; 34 eyes) groups in initial/final visual acuity, lesion area, or viral loads. Poor visual outcome was associated with poor initial visual acuity, retinal detachment, and a higher plasma cytomegalovirus titer. The HIV group had significantly longer survival rate ( P = 0.033) and lower recurrence rate ( P = 0.01) than the non-HIV group, and it also presented with better prognosis in recurrence-free survival analysis ( P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Patients with CMVR without HIV had higher mortality and recurrence rates than the HIV group. Risk factors of poor visual outcome included poor initial visual acuity, retinal detachment, and a high plasma cytomegalovirus titer.

Cytomegalovirus viremia as a risk factor for mortality in HIV-associated cryptococcal and tuberculous meningitis

OBJECTIVES

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia is associated with increased mortality in persons with HIV. We previously demonstrated that CMV viremia was a risk factor for 10-week mortality in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve persons with cryptococcal meningitis. We investigated whether similar observations existed over a broader cohort of HIV-associated meningitis at 18 weeks.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled Ugandans with cryptococcal or tuberculous (TB) meningitis into clinical trials during 2015-2019. We quantified CMV DNA concentrations from stored baseline plasma or serum samples from 340 participants. We compared 18-week survival between those with and without CMV viremia.

RESULTS

We included 308 persons with cryptococcal meningitis and 32 with TB meningitis, of whom 121 (36%) had detectable CMV DNA. Baseline CD4⁺ T cell counts (14 vs. 24 cells/µL; P=0.07) and antiretroviral exposure (47% vs. 45%; P=0.68) did not differ between CMV viremic and non-viremic persons, respectively. The 18-week mortality was 50% (61/121) in those with CMV viremia versus 34% (74/219) in those without (P=0.003). Any detectable CMV viremia (aHR=1.60; 95%CI, 1.13-2.25; P=0.008) and greater viral load (aHR=1.22 per log₁₀ IU/mL increase; 95%CI, 1.09-1.35; P<0.001) were positively associated with all-cause mortality through 18 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

CMV viremia at baseline was associated with a higher risk of death at 18 weeks among persons with HIV-associated cryptococcal or TB meningitis, and the risk increased as the CMV viral load increased. Further investigation is warranted to determine if CMV is a modifiable risk contributing to deaths in HIV-associated meningitis, versus its presence representing a biomarker of immune dysfunction.